Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-07-02
SATURDAY, JULY 2, 1887.
"HALLES CENTRALES.r
49, 81 4 1. 81 a ~
THE PLACE WHERE THE PARISH
ANS BUY THEIR, FOOD.

An Enormous Market House with Acres
Under Cover-NIethods Of Buying and
Selling-Stirring Scene at O'Clock In
the Morning.
There are now twelve pavilions Of iron
and glass at the Paris Halles Centrales.
Each one seems to be devoted to differ
ent sort OF edibles, and yet the space thus
allotted under cover is little moro than
half large enough for the city's needs.
The four largest pavilions are those where
fish, poultry, vegetables and dairy prod
uce are sold. All the pavilions arc well
ventilated, the stalls are commodious and
'sdoWn among the dead men, are base
mont cellars, where the stall renters are
permitted to store such imperishable
goods as they have been unable to dis
pose of In the course of the day.
The wagons bringing the meat from
slaughter houses and poultry from trains
begin to arrive about III o'clock iii tho
evening, and they continue coming
throughout the night. The employees lit
out the baskets ard arran,,Fo them along
the sidewalks. In each basket is tho car
cass Of an animal, either whole or cut up
into quarters, and carefully wrapped up
in stout canvass also label bearing the
name Of the sender, the weightof the con-
tents and d sort Of bill Of hiding which is
handed to market official, who makes
from it his memoranda Then i number
is placed on all the merchandise which
comes from the same shipper, after which
the board of health inspector makes his
examination, marks o Y on M meat that
removed to another place to be looked at
more carefully later on. When it is
finally found unfit to eat it is coniiscated
and either sent to the Jardin des Plantes
to be thrown to the wild animals, or is
totally destroyed.
In the meantime the forts de Ia halle,
or market porters, have commenced their
part Of tho common work Handling the
meat which has passed inspection with
large iron hooks, .they carry it to tho pub
lie weighing station, and when the weight
of each piece has been twice recorded,
once by the clerk of the co2signee and
once by the city's en1ploye, label Is .fas-
tened to it with galvanized iron pin, and
then the meat is hung up in rows to be
sold, ala erie, or at public auction, to the
retail dealers, and as the pieces are sold
the name Of tho purchaser is written on
the other side Of the label.
This Is the routine for carcasses and
quarters already prepared, but there Is
other meat in large quantities which has
to undergo two operations known as the
epluchage (trimming) and the decoupage,
or cutting up. This IS done by five men,
and IS difficult and sometimes dangerous
work. The decoupeurs wear q sort Of
cap, to which lighted candle Is fxed;
this Is the only light that they have to do
their work by, and it must be executed
with great rapidity In the midst Of 9 crowd
Of porters and other market hands. There
are, it Is true, few gas jets here and
there, but not enough Of them to enable
the inspectors and cutters to do their work
properly Why don't they burn more
gasa Well, because It is known ia Paris
that gas is bad thing for meat and other
food, and the less Of gas there IS used
about eafables the better for mankind.
-Four O'Clock Is the hour when the yente /
la criee begins The din Is appalling.
Strong armed wenches, men and boys are
rushing about Or pushing trucks bearing \
hampers fun to the brim, and statesmen
perched aloft IN small pnlpits baWl their
offers il voices which sound Ike dismal
howlg under The zinc r0ofipRs, Eh1le Gus
toners bid nj the same, strain The buyers
at this curly hour are stall keepex proprie-
tors Of restaurants and hotels, and caterers
to hospitals d asyluzns. These people, oy